by androoskadoo

Created on: August 14, 2008   Last Updated: January 31, 2009

Heaven is indeed a real place. Debating the truth of this would be debating the truth of the Bible and therefore debating the existence of God.

The literal place, Heaven, is mentioned several times in the Bible, particularly in Revelation. It speaks of a new Heaven and new earth at the end of the Tribulation (after the earth receives its final judgement). In Revelation 21, the new Jerusalem (our Heaven on earth) is described. Such phrases as "her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal" and "there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying". And then the verses get even more specific, describing the height, width, appearance, of the walls around the city. Over a dozen verses speak of specifics about the citymeasurements like Noah was given for the ark. Specifics such as we read about in Genesis for that large boatthe ark that Noah built. The ark that was very real. Revelation continues in telling us who will be there, what will be there and what it will be like. It is not a general description, it's very precise.

Revelation depicts Heaven not as a figurative place but as a literal place. A literal placejust like hellthat is mentioned more than once andjust like helldescribed with accuracy. As only a state of being, Heaven then remains whatever individuals make it to be. Heaven remains figurative. Nowhere in the Bible is it suggested that Heaven is only a figurative place. Why then describe it so specifically? Why not then simply say that Heaven will be a joyful place and leave it at that? If Heaven were not a real, tangible place, it would not be described with such detail.

When Jesus was sent to earth, he taught much on eternity and what salvation meant. He made it very clear that the end of our physical bodies is not the end of us. Our spirits, or our souls, move on past this physical world. He made it even more clear that our spirits go somewhere. They go to a very real place. Either Heaven, or Hades, which will act like a holding place until the unrighteous are judged. This is precisely why Jesus was sent. God did not want to see people in an eternity of very real torment. He wants to see everyone in Heaven, in a place of no tears and no sorrows. Because of His love for us, He sent His son, in order to give us the opportunity to live forever in a better place with Him. This better place, this very real place, is Heaven.

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